Would you like a Media Extender for Beyond TV

[ZetaVu]

When I looked at both Sage and SS a few years back, I saw sage as being capital intensive, offering more in their version of link while BTV 3.4 was much less expensive, free streaming to other computers and pocketpc (software tuner) and generally better performance and easier to use.

Since then, they were first with HD recording OTA, changes their concept to link (no longer being less expensive) and tried and failed with BM to make it an integrated product. To be honest if I had to do it all again, I wouldn't have gone with either SS or Sage, both are way too expensive (once you add up all the extras) compared to what I could have had if I devoted all the energy I did to MediaPortal or MythTv (both free but requiring a hell of a lot more learning and work to get going).

Sage is not getting better in pricing, they charge way too much for the software on the mediamvp, but they are integrated and they do offer the ability to record HD via firewire (granted with an expensive modded cable/satellite tuner that probably won't be supported by media providers in the near future).

SS definitely is far too quiet in their developmental phase, they keep talking about being the best tv program out there (excuse for not starting integration) but where is the progress? We've been drilling in what we feel is important, and the list just gets bigger:

cablecard or firewire
Integration
CC, PIP, less of a cpu hog
Media extenders
Multi-platform

What have we gotten? DVD plugin. (I used it for a while but now I'm back to Nero, it's just faster). Grant it they have the HDHR working, but what about other qam capable tuners people already have bought. A lot of the limitations come from their programming being tied to m$ (oh, he didn't just give another platform independent plug?)

So anyway, anyone out here complaining that they wished they had one program vs another, well, ebay, always there. But my experience has always been the grass is usually just as green regardless where you are (and greener grass usually means more bullsh... fertilizer.

Now, if a year from now Sage has cablecard support or working recording from an H20 receiver, or multiplatform and a $200 HD extender, and SS has not severely chopped that list down to size, well, forget everything I said.

[MarcP]

Originally Posted by cfaslave

I try to buy based on what the product is today, not what it might be tomorrow.

At least one has a vision about tomorrow and shares it... What is SS giving us?

[cfaslave]

Originally Posted by MarcP

At least one has a vision about tomorrow and shares it... What is SS giving us?

I'm not much on philosophy. For me its like this. I own BTV, Beyond Media and it works for me and has what I need for now. Sage caused me problems way back when I used it so I'm less apt to go back to it unless there is a compelling reason to do so. Planned features for Sage won't bring me to Sage any more than planned integration would if I didn't already own Beyond Media. I'm not really dissagreeing with your point, but I did want to explain why I don't buy based on "planned features" and such

As far as the vision thing, we need to remember that Snapstream's earlier "vision" of integration came back to bite them in the a$$ when they led us to believe it was coming soon when it was really just their "vision" of things to come. The problem with talking about vision is that plans change and then people counting on those plans tend to get ticked off.

[ZetaVu]

And again, why jump from one frying pan to another frying pan? If I were to bail on btv it would be because I was switching completely to Linux meaning the OS has to work on that. If BTV can make themselves multiplatform (or work on linux) I am staying with them. Otherwise, mythtv (or the linuxmce version) which will have as much if not more community development than Sage or MCE or whatever (And as much prevalance as MCE has, I still say it is massively underutilized and not the choice or true technophiles).

Sage's vision may be better now, but they are hitting the same roadblocks and walls that SS is, how they respond to it will determine whether they last or not. Theirr and Snapstream's biggest threats are not each other but the emerging free apps like MP etc.

Anyway, while I say all that, I do have to comment that Sage does have this - http://sage.tv/linuxOEMedition.html - which at some point I will be trying on my ubuntu system (right after linuxmce)

[MarcP]

I will be in the process of re-evaluating my HTPC setup once the TV season is over. It's not guaranteed that I will go with Sage TV. However, it's pretty much assured that I'm done with Snapstream. They've been dragging their feet long enough.

BTV can't even play MKV files while others can.

[ZetaVu]

Tell you what, if you give an honest comparison I'd be interested, detail for detail, just none of the hype/fury reports, fair enough?

[darren_e]

I voted yes but I found that my Playstation 3 now allows me to watch recorded shows through my PS3/network using WMP11.